Monday, July 29, 2013

White faced crow, football supporters, and butterfly friendly

It is a crow I believe. It is in residence in The Grove where a couple of crows invariably mark their territory. But the white face is unusual.. Any thoughts?

"I don't like football," says Andy the Chiropractic. We agree that it is a good game spoilt by overpaid players and supporters with mental limitations. "Go to a pub after a rugby match, " he says and supporters of both teams will be drinking happily together. You don't find supporters of opposing football teams in the same pub without fights breaking out."

In the triangular flower bed opposite the public library butterfly-friendly plants are doing their best this afternoon. Bees there are in plenty but not a butterfly in sight.

9 comments:

The white faced crow is indeed unusual. Especially as he appears to look in fine fettle and not suffering from any injury which could have caused the mark. He also looks quite pint-striped under the chin. A bit of a city gent?

I used to use a photo of an aged crow for my avatar. It looked much like your friend from The Grove. If they manage to survive to very old age, they begin growing bald. Eventually, its bill will begin to develop cracks or what is called de-lamination (I think that's right).

As Lucas points out, this crow looks healthy. The 'pin-striped' appearance is the bird's denuded wattle. Looks a lot like mine, except mine is pinker.

No doubt at all, it is a rook. Not the first time that Tristan F has put me right on a member of the crow family. Last time it was some years ago when I stupidly described a carrion crow as a raven. A rook though is an unusual visitor to The Grove, my only excuse.

No Rooks around here, just nice big bossy Crows. Very fond of them. Told Tristan that we had a Raven here in Rittenhouse Sq. a while back(major city park). Very large..but not anything like the giants at the Tower of London.The other usual birds gave him (her) V E R Y wide birth.

About Me

Compasses

Following their Handbook for Explorers collaboration on the Compasses site (link below), Lucy Kempton and I are working together on a new venture, Questions. This is a series of poems submitted by each of us alternately, and prompted in the case of each poem by the previous poem and a new question. It is a process of adventure and discovery. Join us for the ride.http://www.compasses-lucyandjoe.blogspot.com/